Beta team members Chris Wilson and Jonathan McLin attended the Substation Design Solution Industry Consortium (SDSIC) spring virtual conference this past Wednesday and presented two methodologies that can reduce risk and increase schedule certainty for substation projects.

The two methodologies are integrated design and critical chain project management (CCPM). Integrated design, sometimes referred to as integrated design construction (IDC), is a tool that combines 3D design with the timeline of a project so that stakeholders can visualize the construction process before it starts. The goal of IDC is to drive decision-making earlier in the project lifecycle to maximize the impact and minimize the cost of making design and construction changes. CCPM is a method of planning and managing projects that considers the tasks and resources required to complete a project. The critical chain is the longest path in the schedule that accounts for activity interdependence and resource constraints

Wilson and McLin discussed ways utilities and other power delivery providers can benefit from the implementation of IDC and CCPM methodologies on high voltage substation and transmission line projects. Some of these benefits include fewer communication barriers, greater coordination, and opportunities to save time and money during the project. Wilson and McLin also shared case studies from Beta Engineering’s experience designing, procuring, and building substations and presented some of the time and budget savings that resulted from these two methodologies. In addition to the case studies, they shared interactive models to illustrate how the methodologies look in action.

Effective project management and an experienced team are key to the success of any project. Learn more about Beta’s approach to project management or start the conversation about your next high voltage project today.

What is SDSIC?

The Substation Design Solution Industry Consortium is an organization of utilities that have adopted or are investigating the adoption of Autodesk and SBS software products, which include programs such as Inventor, AutoCAD Electrical and Substation Design Suite.

SDSIC exists to share industry knowledge, technology needs, and establish common standards, workflows, and functionalities. SDSIC’s goal is to improve Autodesk and SBS software development and ensure the software continues to meet industry needs. Volunteer-run committees meet regularly to identify and communicate best practices, new techniques, and other updates. SDSIC also hosts biannual meetings to provide members opportunities for networking and training.